


The Star Of Morning

by TigerRoseBlue



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Abuse, Adam as well, Ariel (OC) - Freeform, Cause God has a few things to answer for, Celestial Family Drama, Eve MIGHT show up, F/M, Gabriel (OC) - Freeform, Haniel (OC), Linda Martin Needs A Raise, Lucifer just wants to be left alone, Maybe - Freeform, Michael (not Season 5 compliant), Michael is NOT a dick, More siblings incoming, More tags coming as I think of them, Neglect, Raphael (OC) - Freeform, Raziel (OC) - Freeform, Raziel was added JUST because I’m a MI fan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:34:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28703733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigerRoseBlue/pseuds/TigerRoseBlue
Summary: At this point, Lucifer swore his Father was just fucking with him. Why else would he find himself  knocked out and thrown into the desert right as he was going to tell the Detective the truth about himself?When he arrives back in LA, he discovers that telling the Detective the truth is the least of his worries at this point. Several of his angelic siblings have arrived in the City of Angels and they're not there to take him back to Hell-they're on the run from Heaven.With his estranged siblings in his home, a war brewing in the Silver City, the Almighty Father Himself nowhere to be found, and a new lieutenant in charge of the LA police that isn't what he says he is, everything's going straight to Hell.Lucifer would know, after all.I DO NOT OWN LUCIFER!!!
Relationships: Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar
Comments: 46
Kudos: 152





	1. It Just Had To Be The Desert

**Author's Note:**

> Set after Season 2, at the beginning of Season 3.

Oh, bloody hell.

What was it with his Father and the bleeding desert? Why not a beach or a forest? Or, even better yet, get with the times and drop him in a strip club!

But, no. It just had to be the desert.

And the bastard didn't just throw him in the desert–no, he also stuck his bloody wings back on! Lucifer had thought he'd been perfectly clear when he cut them off and set them ablaze that he didn't want them. But, no! Instead of thanking him for stopping Mum from starting another celestial war and leaving him alone, he gets his wings back.

So, there he was stuck in the desert, walking around for hours while dragging his useless wings behind him, getting sand everywhere, and with no clue how long it'd been since he'd been devil-napped. It had to be at least a few days, judging from the burns and, Father damn it, the Detective was going to shoot him. Again.

"You just couldn't let me make my own bloody choices, could you?" Lucifer glared up at the sky, knowing his father could hear him, even if he didn't respond. "You controlling, manipulative bastard." And, because he knew there'd be no response and that pissed him off even more, he flipped off the sky with both hands.

Another hour passed as he walked and, finally, he saw a road. And, if his eyes weren't deceiving him, an armored truck coming towards him. "Ah, that's perfect," he said cheerfully, making his way to the middle of the road. He'd just have the driver drive him back to LA and explain everything to the Detective!

The truck came closer...and closer...and closer... Is this bloke blind? Lucifer wondered. He was standing in the middle of the road, wings out, and the truck was nearly upon him. Just as it would've hit him, the truck blared its horn at him and came to a screeching halt and the driver gaped at him through the windshield. Honestly, humans sometimes. 

"Are you blind?" Lucifer demanded, walking around to the passenger side and wrenching the door open. When he tried to get in, his wings jammed in the door. After another attempt, he jumped down, grumbling. These damn things.... Taking a deep breath, he pulled them in, removing them from this reality.

"The day I've had, I tell you," he said conversationally as he got in the truck. "Right. I'd like a ride to Los Angeles, please." Flipping down the visor, he took a look at himself in the mirror. "Oh, dearie me," he said, seeing all the sores on his face alone. "At least I'm healing fast. Do you have any aloe vera?" He asked turning to the driver, who still gawked at him, wide eyed.

"I ain't goin' back to LA," he said incredulously.

"What–" Lucifer looked behind the grate to the back of the truck. "Hold on. You're not a real armored truck driver, are you?" The robber shifted nervously and it suddenly struck him that he knew the man from somewhere. "Wait, don't I know you from somewhere?" He asked. The man didn't respond, but the memory had already come back. It was the man that tried to rob jewelry store, the one that they'd thought might've been Mum.

"Oh, yes, yes! You're that jewelry thief, the one I left in nothing but his manties!" He said, smiling at the memory. The robber seemed to remember just after that. "You! You got me put in jail!" He accused. 

"Well, I think that ones on you, sir. I wasn't the one with a gun and a ski mask?" Lucifer pointed out.

"I'm not gonna let you screw this up for me again." He held up a gun. "It's time for you to go," he said menacingly.

Lucifer laughed. "Oh, ho, ho! You are a tenacious one, I'll give you that. Respect." He held out his fist.

The man laughed. "You one crazy ass bitch." Well, that was rude, Lucifer thought, straightening up and pulling his fist away. "Now get out of the truck," he said, pointing the gun at him. "Now."

Lucifer didn't move. He highly doubted the Detective was anywhere nearby, so he didn't have anything to worry about. "Look," he said , "I know you don't want to shoot me, Mister......what's your name?"

"Said out bitch," he said, waving his gun.

"Mr. Said Out Bitch," Lucifer continued on obliviously. "Tell me, what is it you really–" 

"I don't think that's actually his name."

Both Mr. Said Out Bitch and Lucifer startled at the extra voice–Lucifer because he recognized it. It can't be... He quickly turned around–and then he froze. "What the fuck?!" The robber exclaimed. Lucifer was too busy staring to answer. Dark brown hair, tanned skin...and dark glasses. 

"Hello, Luce," she said gently–shyly. Which was weird, because she had never been shy per say. Just not exactly a people person like he was. But, he guessed even the boldest person got shy when speaking to someone they hadn't spoken to in millennia.

She gave a hesitant smile and then looked around him to the only human in the truck. "Sir, excuse me, but I need to return my brother home, if you'd please?" 

"Wha...." Was the only thing to come out of his mouth. 

"Right," she said, turning back to him and holding out her hand. "Ready, brother?" He looked from her hand, up to her face, and then back down. She'd never prayed, never visited, not even when he came to earth...but she was here. He took her hand.

She smiled and unfurled her wings. There was a choking sound behind him as they lifted and fell in a great down-swoop...and they were gone.

Leaving behind Mr. Said Out Bitch who recovered from his divine shock just in time to start cussing before the police caught him. 

They would never figure out how vines had managed to grow in the middle of the desert, through several feet of asphalt, to wrap around the tires of the armored truck.

________________________________________________________________________________

They landed on the balcony of his penthouse. Lucifer immediately headed to the bar, having recovered from his shock. She followed behind him. "Brother..." she said hesitantly as he poured a drink and quickly knocked it back. He then set to pouring another drink right after.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, practically shaking from the maelstrom of emotions roiling inside him. She wrapped her arms around herself, looking uncomfortable. "I...." She took a deep breath. "I talked to Amenadiel. About what happened with Mother? And then he said you just disappeared without a word and I...I got worried."

The glass in his hand broke. She jumped as Lucifer cursed and went to get another one. "Millennia," he choked the word out as he poured whiskey into a new glass, trying not to grip it too hard. "I haven't heard from you since before...and you choose now?!"

She flinched. "I'm so sorry," she said shakily. "I just...I couldn't face you. Not like this." Her hand came up to the glasses and it was Lucifer's turn to flinch. His breath left him as if he'd just been sucker punched. 

"And..." She gave an embarrassed laugh. "To be honest, I have been...checking up on you–since you arrived in Los Angeles. I just never could get up the courage to come up to you. Like you said, it's been millennia. What could I say that would justify leaving my brother all alone all that time?" She asked brokenly.

Lucifer swallowed. "You're the one sibling that I wouldn't have blamed." 

Something in his voice must've clued her off, cause her expression went from agonized to infuriated in a second. "Oh, no, you don't," she growled, stalking up to him–and walked straight into his piano. Lucifer winced and moved around it quickly as she swore.

He grabbed her arm gently and pulled her away from his precious instrument. Without losing a beat, she turned to face him. "This," she gestured angrily to her face, "is not your fault, do you UNDERSTAND ME?!"

He stared at her, unable to answer. Her face gentled, but didn't lose any of its focus. She reached up and Lucifer bent unconsciously to allow her to put her hands on his cheeks. "Do you understand me, brother?" She asked softly, but intently.

Lucifer couldn't breath. He just stared into her glasses, the glasses that hid his guilt. He set his hands on either side of them. She startled lightly, but didn't move away. "May I...?" He asked with uncharacteristic uncertainty. She swallowed, but nodded shortly.

And he took the glasses away.

________________________________________________________________________________

Injuries didn't bother Lucifer. Eternity in hell had burned away (both figuratively and all too literally) his naïveté and any squeamishness he might've had. He'd seen–and done–unspeakable things, things that were impossible to unsee. Things that would drive any human mad, things that would turn most of his siblings' stomachs.

So, no. Injuries didn't bother him.

But this was different.

This was his baby sister. This was his sweet, strong lioness. This was the only sibling that had stood up for him when Father had kicked him out.

The one who was the Angel of Nature. The one who loved her plants and animals so much, she'd maintained the Garden of Eden–had helped create it. The one who was like a real version of all those silly princesses the Detective's spawn liked to watch on television.

And the one who, for daring to speak up for her brother, had the ability to see her beloved creations taken from her.

Her eyes were milky brown, blank and dull. The skin surrounding them...was burnt, red and angry.

Lucifer couldn't breath. He couldn't breath. How could he do this? How could He do this?! She was his sister! She didn't deserve to be punished for Lucifer's doings. It wasn't her fault. It wasn't her fault!!

Distantly, he could hear a high pitched whining sound. It was getting higher and higher and he could hear her yelling. Was she angry? She'd be right to be. He let this happen. He let this happen.

It was happening all over again–he was hurting them. Uriel, her, when would he learn? He was the devil, he was evil, he was poison–

"En Aoivea." Her voice was gentle now, but urgent. "En Aoivea, niis zacam de olza."

He hadn't heard that language in years–not in such a loving manner, anyway. And he hadn't heard that particular phrase in much, much longer.

He breathed.

"There you are," she said softly, stroking his face. "There's my light."

Suddenly, he felt exhausted. He slumped against her, having somehow already been on his knees. She took his weight easily. "What...?" He asked numbly. "You were keening," she said in that same soft, gentle voice.

If he'd had the strength, he would've immediately jumped up and began pacing in horror. As it was, he shifted away from her to lean against the leg of his piano. "I..." He looked around. Several of his expensive bottles has shattered–and that was going to be a joy to clean up–but through some kind of luck, the windows were okay.

"It's okay," she said reassuringly. "I believe some glass broke over towards the door, but to my knowledge, the windows are okay. And I can't hear any sirens or screaming, so I think the humans are okay as well. Would you like me to check?" 

To both her and Lucifer's surprise, he grabbed her by the waist and pressed his face into her stomach. A moment later, he felt her hands gently carding through his hair. "Okay," she said warmly. "Okay."

They sat there like that for awhile, until the prickling in Lucifer's eyes went away.

________________________________________________________________________________

"The D'tective," he muttered sometime later. They'd moved to his couch, where he'd laid his head in her lap. "The detective?" She asked. He nodded. "I was going to tell her, before. Everything. She's going to be so angry." His words almost slurred from exhaustion. He didn't know if he'd ever felt this tired.

"Would you like to use my phone to call her?" She asked carefully. Lucifer thought about it for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay," she said, sounding somewhat surprised. She reached for her phone and asked him for the Detective's number.

________________________________________________________________________________

It was around 7 o'clock when Chloe got the call. She was neck-deep in writing up reports and so didn't even check to see who it was before answering.

"Hello?" She asked remotely. 

"Detective?"

Chloe immediately sat straight up, dropping her pen. "Lucifer?"

"The one and only." Despite the flippant words, there was a bone-deep exhaustion in Lucifer's voice. It was that weariness that kept her from unleashing the anger that had building up this whole time and instead focus on the concern.

"What happened to you?" She asked. "It's been two weeks and nothing." There was a couple moments of silence. 

"My apologies, Detective," he responded. "I'm afraid I was Devil-napped."

It took a moment for that to sink in. "What?"

"Some bloody arse decided to clock me over the head on my way out of the hospital from visiting Dr. Linda," he explained, grumbling a bit. "And today I woke up in the desert, of all places."

Today–"Today?" She demanded. "You have no memory of the last two weeks?"

"No."

She dragged a hand down her face. It was kind of hard to be mad at him for disappearing again when he hadn't meant to. "Okay. Okay. Where are you? Are you at the hospital? What phone are you calling from?"

"I'm at my penthouse," he said, cause of course he wouldn't do the sensible thing and go to the hospital after being kidnapped and dumped in a desert after two weeks. "Don't worry, Detective, I'm perfectly fine–"

Then, a female voice came over the phone, "Tell that to your burns, dumbo!" 

"Who was that?!" Chloe demanded. "And why are you not at the hospital?!"

"I am fine," he retorted, more to the other woman than her, obviously. "It was unnecessary. I'll be healed up by tomorrow."

"Lucifer–" Chloe started, but was interrupted.

"Boy, if you think you're going back to work before Monday, you are sorely mistaken," the woman said clearly.

"What day is it?" He asked. "Thur–" Chloe started, but was interrupted again. "Thursday!" The woman replied.

"I–" Lucifer began to argue, but the woman cut in again. "No." Her tone left no room for argument, but knowing Lucifer–

"Fine," he grumbled.

Chloe pulled her phone away from her ear and stared at it. Was Lucifer Morningstar...giving up? 

"Detective? Detective?" She put the phone back to her ear. "Best make that next week. Apparently, I'm on house arrest." He said saltily.

"I..." She had no response. Deep breath, Chloe, deep breath. "I'll come by and get your statement."

"No," Lucifer countered immediately.

"What?" Chloe demanded, all geared up for a fight. Honestly, what was it with this man and refusing help?

With his next words, he took all the wind out of her sails. "Detective," he sighed, back to being utterly exhausted, "I'm tired. What I want is shower and to go to bed. I will explain everything when I return to work, agreed?"

What could she say?

"Alright," she relented.


	2. Ma’am, One of Your Patients is the Actual Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Linda meets yet another member of the celestial family. And she does not get paid enough for this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, y’all, but how do I add pictures to chapters? I have aesthetics I want to use.

Early the next morning, Ariel woke up and immediately went to check on her brother. She had waited until he'd fallen asleep–which hadn't taken long–to go sleep on his couch. It was one of the most comfortable couches she's ever felt.

She took the stairs up to the bedroom carefully, feeling out how high they were before taking a step. Then, she tiptoed her way over to her sleeping brother. His burns had healed overnight, thankfully, and he was resting peacefully–and deeply, considering he hadn't woken up when she ran her hands gently where the burns had been last night.

Ariel smiled and kissed him gently on the forehead. "I'll be right back." With that, she went to his balcony and stood there. She could feel the morning light on her skin and she reveled in it. Her sight might've been taken from her, but it didn't mean she couldn't appreciate the warmth.

She took a deep breath. She had things to do before her brother woke up. So, she rolled her shoulders and summoned her wings.

Lucifer had always had the most gorgeous wings of all the angels–so white you felt as if it could bleach your soul clean of all darkness. But, Ariel had always felt fairly proud of her own set. Pale pink, with red converts and secondary converts.

She took flight from the balcony, headed to what had become her home this last decade.

________________________________________________________________________________

New Braunfels, Texas, was a city of 44.9 square miles and Ariel owned 18 of those.

Millennia of living among the humans had a way of causing an accumulation of funds. Without even meaning to, she'd become filthy rich. And with that money, she'd bought some land out in Texas and set up a nature reserve around nine years ago.

And, because she loved how nobody got the joke but her, she named it 'Angel's Paradise'. Cause why not?

She landed at the gate. Brushing off her blue jeans, she gave a sharp whistle. A few moments later, she felt something furry brush against her hand. Grinning, she ran her hand across it.

"Hello, Eden," she cooed. Eden, as she was named, was a female Nemean lion. There was very few of her kind left and when Ariel had discovered her in Africa, hunted and starving, she'd brought her here. With a little bit of divine intervention, she had had her registered as her service animal.

"Care to lead me to Sam?" She asked. Sam–full name Samantha Green–was Ariel's best friend and finance coordinator. Ariel was very happy to have her, since technology and money were not her strong suits. She was a great worker and friend.

Sam knew about her...complicated, family relations. Maybe not exactly how complicated–how do you explain to someone that God is actually an abusive, neglectful asshole??–but she knew the more ordinary things. And she knew about Lucifer and how much Ariel desperately wanted to set things right with him. She'd never thought she'd get the chance to in Sam's lifetime, but now that it was here, she couldn't wait to tell her.

Eden led her to her friend. As they grew closer, Ariel started to hear Sam's Texan drawl. "Come 'ere, Suga'," she wheedled, obviously attempting to draw out Sugar, the raccoon that had been found missing a leg from an accident involving a motorcycle and a barbed wire fence, from her hiding spot. "Having trouble?" She asked, grinning.

Sam laughed. "Well, we can't all be Disney princesses." Ariel stuck her tongue out at her and walked closer. "Move aside, honey, and let me show you how it's done," she teased as Sam slid backwards and Ariel took her place, sinking down on her knees. "Hey, Sugar. Want to come out here so we can check that leg?" She asked softly.

Sugar whimpered. 'It hurts.'

"I know, sweetheart, but it's not going to get better if you don't let us help," Ariel said, holding her hands out.

A moment later, fur brushed against her outstretched hands. She gently wrapped her arms around the raccoon, taking care not to brush the stump of her back left foot, and stood up. Sam huffed. "Princess Ariel strikes again." Ariel giggled. "Oh hush. Let's get our little friend over to Ty and then we need to talk."

They walked over to the office, Ariel holding Sugar in one hand and holding the other over Eden's head. As they walked, Sam went over everything that had happened during the day she'd been gone. Nothing much, really, except a deer had been admitted with a broken leg. Ty Banner, their on-staff vet, was working with her right now–which was why Sam had been sent to get Sugar.

Walking into the office, both Ariel and Sam stopped in their tracks as they were bombarded with this awful sound.

" 'Cause I need this more than just a one night stand," Ty sang very...enthusiastically, if completely off tune. From the sound, he was dancing around the room–probably as he cleaned up from operating on the deer. "Need that honey when she hold my hand.  
Times like this, they call for true romance.  
But she's not ready for that!"

She could practically feel Sam smiling beside her. There was no need to extend his embarrassment–or the torture her ears were going through–any longer.

"She lets me down–"

"Ty."

Abruptly, everything stopped. Ty stopped singing. And moving. Was he even breathing? Sam was most likely fighting with everything in her to keep from laughing. And Ariel had absolutely nothing to say.

"Male has bad voice," Sugar chittered. And Ariel couldn't help the snort.

"Ahhhhhh," Ty said nervously. "Ari-err, Ariel–ah, boss!! You're back." She couldn't help smiling. "Just for a moment to check in. I saved Sam's bacon and got Sugar for you," Ariel said, nodding her chin towards the raccoon in her arms. "Heyyyy, sweetheart," he cooed, scooping her gently out of her arms. "Where are you off to next–if you don't mind me asking?" He said in that same tone as he sat Sugar on the table and snapping a pair of rubber gloves on. Ariel fought a blush. He's talking to the raccoon, not you, idiot! She scolded herself. "Sure he was," Eden rumbled sarcastically. She had to stop herself from replying and making herself look like a crazy person.

"I'm going on vacation," she decided to tell him after an awkward silence. "Finally!" Sam shouted. Ariel started, leaning away from her, into Eden. "Sorry," she said lower, "but in all the time I've known you, you've never taken a single day off. It's a long time comin', sweetheart." Ariel sighed. "I enjoy working here–I've never needed a day off."

"So what brought this on?" Sam asked. Ariel didn't want to get into what happened with her brother here. While she trusted Ty, she hadn't ever spoken of her family with him. And she didn't particularly want to start now. Ariel shrugged. "I'm going to LA."

Ty snorted. Sugar let out a squeak–Ty had probably given her some pain meds. "The City of Angels?" He asked. "Isn't that a bit ironic?" Ariel grinned. "So? Is that a problem?" She asked teasingly. "Ah, no," he said nervously. "They probably just never thought a literal angel would ever visit there."

Ariel's heart nearly stopped–and then it started back immediately when she realized she was being flirted with. This guy.... She crossed her arms and hummed, pursing her lips. "I expect you to call me if there's any issues." Her tone was suddenly glacial. "Got it," he muttered dejectedly. 

With that, she turned and walked out of the office, as fast as she could. Sam followed close behind her.

"Darlin', give the poor guy a bone!" Sam exclaimed. "He's obviously crazy 'bout cha." "Sam," she groaned. She did not want to have that conversation right now. "Please, just don't," she said firmly before Sam could go on one of her love advice rants. Ty was sweet, but...he was all too human. She would never, ever put herself through the pain of loving somebody that much who'd age and die while she remained unchanged.

Sam huffed. "Anyway, was that what ya need to talk 'bout?" Ariel shrugged, grimacing a bit. "Kind of, but not really." "Okaaaaay," Sam drew out. "That's not vague at all." "Oh, hush," she responded a bit crossly. "Let's get to my room first."

The main house wasn't far from Ty's office. Several of the other workers saw and greeted her cheerfully. While she wasn't really close to them, unlike Sam (and Ty, though she'd never admit it), she was still a good boss and they liked her. 

The main house was a two-story colonial (as she'd been told when she'd bought it), with columns and a balcony right off her bedroom on the second floor. Inside, it was almost obsessively neat–the workers and guests were told to always put things back where they'd found them, so Ariel could find them again. And so she wouldn't trip. 

Ariel asked Sam to close the door behind her as Eden curled up on the bed. Her bedroom was large and airy, with a 8 ft by 8 ft bed–so she could stretch out if she wanted to. French doors opened up to the balcony, which faced the back of the property. She liked her privacy, which was why it wasn't at the front of the house. Sometimes, she just liked to sit out there and let the air caress her wings.

"So, wat's up?" Sam demanded, plopping down on the chair next to her bed. Ariel herself sat on the bed, burying her hands into Eden's fur. She took a deep breath to calm herself, but it didn't help much. Her voice, when she spoke, cracked with emotion. "I spoke to him."

"Him??" Sam asked, confused. "Him, who?" Ariel couldn't respond as the last 24 or so hours caught up with her. She'd talked to her brother. Her light. En Aoivea. Tears leaked from under her dark glasses. Sam's breath caught. "Ohhhh....him," she whispered, finally catching up. She immediately got on the bed next to Ariel and wrapped her in a hug. "Oh, darlin'. Honey, how did it go?" 

Ariel sniffled. "He was upset. So upset. I know...I knew I made him feel like I abandoned him, but hearing it–" Was so much worse. So, so much worse. "And?" Sam nudged her on. "He....forgave me and I....and I'm...I'm staying with him for awhile." She said, still not believing this was happening. Sam hugged her tighter. "That's great! ....Right?"

Ariel nodded with a shaky. "Yeah. It is." She would say it's a freaking miracle, but she knows their Father had nothing to do with this. 

"Does this mean I finally get to meet your siblings?" She asked. Ariel laughed. "Maybe later. I want to reconnect with him before bombarding him with the new people in my life." Sam rubbed her shoulders. "Ain't that part of reconnectin', though?" Ariel sighed. "Yeah, but...."

"Yer not ready," Sam finished understandingly. "Okay, sweetheart. You go on and spend time with yer brother. I'll take care of everythin' here, so don't worry 'bout it." Ariel threw her arms around Sam's waist. "Thanks." "No problem," she said warmly, running her hand through her hair. "Need help packin'?" 

Ariel nodded. "Then let's get to it," Sam proclaimed, jumping up and clapping her hands sharply. "Chop chop. Don't think yer not helpin', kit-kat." Eden rumbled. "Can I bite her?" Ariel shook her head, holding back a grin. However much Eden proclaimed to hate her nickname, she'd never followed through on any of her threats.

________________________________________________________________________________

Lucifer darted around the room, arranging the flowers and food he'd ordered perfectly. Dr. Linda was supposed to be there any minute and he didn't want a thing out of place.

That morning had started with feathers in his face and an empty penthouse. For a moment, he had to wonder if Ariel had truly even been there. But, he should've expected her to go–it wasn't like she told him she'd stay.

Right then, the elevator dinged. Lucifer jumped to his feet and moved towards it. And then, coming through the doors was his therapist in a wheelchair, guided by Benjamin, a very attractive nurse. He was also part of his present to the Doctor, but that part would have to wait till later. 

"Oh, you're here!" He greeted loudly. "Wonderful. I wasn't sure what you fancied, so I ordered a bit of everything." He swiftly took ahold of the doctor's chair and thanked Benjamin for his assistance before sending him off.

"Lucifer, what is all this?" She asked, looking around. "Well, I thought since I was the reason you Mother went after you, the least I could do was see to your comfort as you heal," he said gesturing to the food as he left her beside the piano and went to pour himself another drink. He couldn't seem to stay still. His back itched.

Linda remained silent for a moment, the silence that Lucifer had learned to anticipate as she processed what he said and did in her office during sessions. But there was nothing to psychoanalyze here. Just him wanting to help a friend, that was all.

"Lucifer," she started firmly, "what's going on?" Lucifer rolled the whiskey glass between his fingers. "I've told you," he insisted. "I want to take care of you. Don't you believe that?" "No," she said bluntly. Only the centuries-old control cultivated in the cruel terrain of Hell–show no vulnerability, show no emotion–kept him from flinching.

He swallowed, set his glass down, and stood before the doctor. Taking a deep breath, he rolled his shoulders and unfurled his wings to their full length. Upon seeing them, Linda made a strange sound–something between a whimper and choking. He hadn't even known that was possible.

He found himself holding his breath as she stared at him, her mouth gaping. He felt as if he was vibrating in place from the tension. After a few false starts, Linda finally said, "I–I didn't know they could grow back." Lucifer gave her a sharp smile, one fit to cut to the bone. "Yes, well, neither did I."

"How–?" She choked. Lucifer tucked his wings in as he picked his glass of whiskey back up and walked back over to the bar. "Oh, you know, wake up in a desert with no memory of the last four weeks, only to find your dear old Dad has reattached your bloody wings," he snapped. "Right," she said faintly, still looking wide-eyed and distracted.

"Dr. Linda?" Lucifer asked. She didn't respond. "Doctor!" He said sharply, clapping his hands to get her attention. She started, her eyes flying up to meet his own. "Oh, I–uh..." Lucifer took a deep breath. "Were you even paying attention to what I was saying?" She nodded her head repeatedly. "Yes. Waking up in the desert, with no memories of the last four weeks, and your father putting your wings back...Oh my God."

"Exactly!" He shouted, slamming the glass down–and shattering it. "Bloody hell!!" He snarled. "Not again!" He glared at the shattered glass as Linda took several deep breaths. "Lucifer," she said calmingly, "you seem...particularly upset about this."

Lucifer snorted. That was an understatement. "Well, of course I am, Doctor! He forced them on me! This is just another attempt to manipulate me, to turn me into something I don't want!" He paced the room, throwing his hands wildly in the air, barely missing some of the fruit baskets. "And what would that be?" She asked.

He spun around to face her, his wings flaring out and the feathers puffed up. "His," he hissed inhumanly. Linda gripped the arms of her wheelchair tightly, reminding herself to take a deep breath. It was just Lucifer, who was the actual, literal Devil...who also had the whitest wings she'd ever seen.

"His angel, His weapon!" He continued, too worked up to see Linda's struggle. "I don't want it! I'm not His anymore!"

"Lucifer," Linda said, drawing his attention back to her. "Are you sure that's what this is?" Lucifer threw his hands up. "Well, what else could it be?!" She took a deep breath, knowing that he wouldn't like what she had to say. But it had to be said. "Perhaps, this isn't your father–" Who is literally God, she reminded herself numbly, "trying to control you. Maybe, he's trying to help you."

Lucifer's face twisted, his expression agony. "No." His tone was sure, final. He nailed the point farther by turning away from her. But Linda's job was to push the envelope–even if it was about the Devil's parental issues. "How can you be so sure–" "Because, Doctor," he interrupted loudly. "My Father does not 'help' for no reason. If he did give me my wings back, it's because he wants something. That's how it is."

"What if this is a reward–for how you handled the situation with your mother?" The thought of Lucifer's mom went down bitterly, with what she'd done. But it had to be brought up. Lucifer shook his head. "No. My 'reward' was Chloe's protection from Malcolm."

And, she was officially out of ideas. She did not get paid enough to deal with this celestial insanity–and she was being paid an unGodly amount (yes, she saw the irony in that statement) compared to her other patients.

Thankfully, she was saved from the tension by the sound of wings near the balcony. "Luce?" A feminine voice called out. Lucifer nearly jumped out of his skin. "Ariel?" He responded, a healthy dose of disbelief in his voice. And, another celestial being. Just please don't let this one be homicidal, Linda pleaded. To whom, she had no idea.

The woman walked into the room and– "Is that a lion?" Linda couldn't help but blurt out as she stared down an honest to God (she really needed to find new sayings) lion. "Lioness," the angel immediately corrected, then stopped as it sunk in that it wasn't just her brother in the room.

"Brother, who was that?" She asked, moving closer–only to be stopped by the lion...ess pressing back against her legs. "Eden?" Lucifer looked frozen for a moment, then burst into action, picking his way through the flowers. The lioness moved out of the way and Lucifer whispered something into her ear before scooping her up and moving back through the maze of containers before setting her down on the piano bench.

The dark glasses she wore obscured her face, but Linda could tell she'd been startled by her brother's actions. Then, she scowled. "Luce, I hope you know I'm perfectly capable of moving myself," she stated sharply. "Of course," Lucifer agreed easily, pouring a drink and handing it to the angel–Ariel–before leaning against the piano next to her. "But things are a bit messy right now, so I thought I'd help."

Ariel sighed, but didn't argue as she took a sip of her drink–and immediately choked on it. "What is this?!" "Whiskey," Lucifer replied, straightening up. As she coughed, she held the glass up, to her side. "Apologies, brother, but I'm not a big fan of alcohol. May I have some water?" Lucifer took the glass and got her some water.

"Lucifer?" Linda said stiffly. "Perhaps you should introduce us?" Ariel looked up and nodded. "Yes. Is this your Detective?" Lucifer snorted. "No. This is Dr. Linda Martin, my therapist." Ariel nodded and smiled at her gently. "A pleasure, Dr. Martin. I'm glad my brother has someone to talk to." 

"I have plenty of people to talk to," Lucifer said, offended. Ariel turned, her hand on her hip and her head cocked to the side, one eyebrow lifted over the rim of her glasses. "And how many of those people know who you are, have not attempted to kill you or harm you in some way, and aren't family that will inevitably turn everything you say against you?"

Lucifer had nothing to say to that. "Uh huh, that's what I thought." Ariel turned back to Linda, who was trying to hold back a smile. It was so refreshing to have someone who knew how to handle Lucifer. "Anyway, I suppose I should properly introduce myself and my companion. I am Ariel, Angel of Nature. This is Eden, a Nemean lioness." Her hand rubbed the top of Eden's head.

That name poked at something in Linda's brain. Where were Nemean lions from....? "Greece," Lucifer stated out of the blue. "Nemean lions are originally from Greece." And that just confused her even more. "There are lions native to Greece?" She asked. 

Ariel laughed. "Well, there was around 200,000 years ago." Linda nearly choked. "What?!" "Do you know of Greek mythology?" Ariel asked gently. "A bit," Linda stated, her brain still trying to take in the time. "What do you know of Heracles and his labors?" 

"I know the Disney movie," Linda said dumbly–then immediately kicked herself, figuring the angel wouldn't know what she was talking about. But, to her surprise, Ariel groaned and said, "Please, don't remind me of that utter train wreck of a movie. They even got his name wrong!"

Linda blinked in surprise. "You know Disney?" Ariel smiled. "I've been on Earth much, much longer than any of my siblings. Yes, I know Disney. Any who, one of the labors Heracles had to perform was that of killing a Nemean lion." 

And this is where Linda's brain finally caught up. "Woah, woah, woah!" She exclaimed. "I'm sitting across from a mythical creature?!" "Ma'am," Ariel said calmly, "one of your patients is the actual Devil." Point taken. "Okay, then." At this point, Linda had realized it was best not to look too deeply into things like this.

Ariel turned back to her brother. "Hey, is there a bedroom I can use?" Lucifer looked back at her, surprised. "Of course." "Great," she said, going to stand up. "I'm staying here for awhile." She suddenly froze in the middle of getting to her feet. "If that's okay with you, I mean," she said hesitantly. Eden stared up at her mistress, to Lucifer, and then back to Ariel. Then, she turned and growled at the man. 

Lucifer scowled right back at the lioness. "Oh, hush, you giant furball." "No," Ariel cut off Eden's responding snarl. "Don't you two dare start with that, do you hear me?" Her confidence had made a quick comeback. 

Surprisingly, Lucifer listened. "Of course it's okay. I'll get your bags, you stay here with the Doctor." Before Ariel could argue, he left with her bags to the spare room. 

Ariel plopped back down with a huff. "Stupid big brothers, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," she grumbled. Sighing, she ran a hand under her glasses before turning back to Linda. "Excuse me, but why does it smell like an indoor flower garden in here?" Linda laughed shakily. "Well, I suppose you know how Lucifer likes going overboard."

Her head tilted to the side. "Are they for you?" Linda nodded. Ariel didn't respond for a few minutes and they say there awkwardly, Linda wondering what was wrong with Lucifer getting her flowers. Finally, Ariel let out an irritated sigh. "Ma'am, I'm guessing you either nodded or shook your head, right?"

Shocked, Linda blurted out "Yes?" like it was a question. Ariel sighed again, reaching up and yanking her glasses off. Linda's jaw dropped as she looked at the ruined skin and dull, unfocused pupils. She was... "I'm blind, so please state your answers out loud," she said shortly before putting her glasses back on.

"Oh, okay, uh," Linda stuttered. "Yes, they-they are." Eden let out a rumbling growl that made Linda glance at her cautiously. Honestly, the way her life was going right now, it'd be just her luck to become kitty chow. Ariel hummed. "May I ask what happened?" 

Linda swallowed, her hands clenching the armrests of her wheelchair to keep from shaking. "Well..." Did she even know about her Mother coming to earth? "Your-Mother-wanted-to-know-about-Lucifer's-plans-and-I-refused-and-she-tortured-me," she blurted out.

Ariel just sat there for a few minutes. Then, she picked up her glass, took a big gulp, and sat it back down. "Excuse me, WHAT?!" She screeched. Linda flinched back.

"Ariel?" Lucifer called from the other room. Ariel's head snapped around to the sound of her brother's voice. "LUCIFER, GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW!!" She screamed. 

He came running. "What–"

"MOTHER WAS HERE?!" She demanded. Lucifer's mouth closed with an audible click. "Mother was here, and NOBODY BOTHERED TO INFORM ME?!?!" For the first time since Linda had met the Devil, he seemed to be genuinely speechless. 

"Is there anything else I should know?" Ariel asked through her teeth. "Well..." Lucifer said. "Well?" She growled. "In certain situations, I'm mortal?" His voice went up at the end, making the statement into a question. 

Linda plugged her ears.

"YOU'RE WHAT?!?!?!"

________________________________________________________________________________

"Fuck, fuck, fuckity fucking fuck," a man's voice growled. It was a very proper voice, despite the profanity. 

Another male's voice cut in. "Must you keep doing that?" He asked irritatedly. His voice sounded strained, as if he was bearing the weight of something heavy. 

"Yes," the proper man snapped back. "Considering the circumstances, I believe it's fairly accurate."

A woman groaned. "Can you two please not argue? This is difficult enough already. And would someone please make sure he doesn't drag?"

There was grunting and a multitude of curses thrown around. "Bloody hell, what have you been eating?" The proper man grumbled. Yet another man laughed painfully. "Same as you, dumbass," he retorted.

"The only dumbass here is you," The proper man snarled. A fourth man groaned. "You morons do realize we're out in the open, right? And that it is highly unlikely we'd be able to fight them off if they found us like this? How about we find somewhere to stay before we start snapping at each other?" He demanded.

"He has a point," the woman said desperately. 

They were all quiet. "Fine," the proper man grumbled. "Where to?" The woman spoke again, hesitantly. "I...think I have somewhere in mind. Just...keep quiet and follow me."

There was a whoosh of displaced air and she was gone. The second man grunted. "Are you going to help us with this idiot?" The hurt man laughed again. "Love you too." The second man ignored him. The fourth man gestured to the bundle he held in his arms. 

The proper man rolled his eyes. "Fine. Let's just go before we lose her." And with that, they disappeared, leaving behind only a single black feather floating to the ground.


	3. If It Smells Like a Corpse...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe takes Lucifer back to the desert and they make an unexpected discovery.

The weekend passed quickly. Lucifer spent the time with his sister, catching up on the past million years they'd been apart. Lucifer was not at all surprised to discover that Ariel had been a part of the woman's rights movement in the 1960's and 70's. Or that she'd slapped Charles Darwin after he wrote The Descent of Man. And Ariel hadn't been shocked that he'd messed around with the British a bit during the American Revolution.

Of course it hadn't been all sunshine and roses. Both Lucifer and Ariel were known for their tempers–Ariel was the "lioness of God" for a reason. They'd gotten into arguments plenty of times. But unlike with Amenadiel, Lucifer never quite got that toxic, burning feeling in his chest. 

Monday came and Lucifer headed into the precinct, after making his sister promise to call him if she needed anything. Ariel agreed, but planned to spend the day in the penthouse with Eden. Hopefully, nothing would go wrong.

As he stood in the elevator, he tapped his fingers against the cups of coffee he was carrying. What would she say to seeing him again? He doubted she'd be very happy, since this is the second time he left without a word to her. But he did have a good reason this time, so maybe she wouldn't be that upset?

The elevator dinged and with a deep breath, he entered the precinct. And was immediately jumped on by Ms. Lopez. "You're back!!!" She cheered. "I'm so glad you're okay, buddy!" Lucifer cringed away from the exuberant young woman. While he liked the lab tech, he desperately wished she would stop hugging him.

"A pleasure to see you, Ms. Lopez," he said curtly, slipping out of her arms and examining the room to find the Detective. "Are you okay? Chloe told us what happened." She whispered. He couldn't help but smile at her concern. It was genuine–something so rare to him. "I'm fine, thank you. I've been resting these past few days."

Ella smiled in relief. "Can you tell me what happened? All Chloe said was that you'd been kidnapped and you were resting at home and would be back to work today."

Lucifer decided to indulge her curiosity as he waited for the Detective. "I was leaving the hospital, having come from seeing Dr. Linda, and I was attacked from behind. I woke up in the desert Thursday morning."

Ella gaped at him. "So you have no memories of the last two weeks?" He shook his head. "Oh my God!" 

He scowled. "Can we please not invoke my Father right now?"

She shook her head. He really never dropped character. It was both awe-inspiring and a bit worrying as well, considering he'd been kidnapped and had memory loss of the last two weeks he'd been missing. He could be using it to cope, so she wouldn't say anything right now.

But he did need another hug. So, she gave him one.

He stood there, stiff as a board. "Are you sure you're okay?" She said into his jacket. "I'm perfectly fine. I would, however, like to speak to the Detective." She sighed and stepped back, releasing him. "Alright. I think she'll be back in a minute or two. You can sit by her desk."

He nodded his thanks and went on his way. He sat down in the chair beside the Detective's desk and pulled out his phone. He dialed his sister's number, his fingers of his free hand tapping against wood.

Ariel answered immediately. "Brother, I'm perfectly fine." He grinned sheepishly. "I was just checking." He could practically hear her rolling her eyes. "It's barely been 30 minutes. You might be able to get into trouble in that amount of time, but I'm not as adventurous as you are."

He laughed. "Two words–Amorphophallus titanum." She groaned. "Father wanted something unique." Lucifer rolled his eyes at the mention of their father. "So you created a giant flower that smelled like a rotten corpse?" "It seemed like a good idea at the time," she muttered.

"You threw up the first time you smelled it," he reminded her. "I'd never smelled a corpse before!" She defended. He shook his head, grinning. "Then how did you–"

Knuckles rapped against wood. Lucifer looked up to see Detective Douche staring down at him. "Oh, excuse me," he interrupted himself. "I'm afraid I have to go. I'll talk to you later, dearest." "Try not to get shot when you're around your Detective, please," she said wryly and hung up.

"Detective Douche," he greeted as he put his phone in his pocket. "How may I help you today?" The Douche rolled his eyes. "I was coming over to see if you were okay, but it obviously wasn't necessary." He sneered down at him. "What was that, number a million on the bedpost?"

It took a moment for the words to sink in. After they did, it took all of Lucifer's self-control not to smite the dirtbag right there. He stood up and walked right into the man, chest to chest, forcing Dan to tilt his head back to look him in the eye.

"Do not ever refer to her like that again," he said quietly. "She is my–"

"What's going on?" 

The Detective stood off to the side, staring at the two of them. He took several deep breaths before he was able to step back. "Oh, just Detective Douche excelling at what he does best," he said lightly, with a shark-toothed grin aimed right for the douche in question. Daniel took a step back.

Chloe huffed and got in between them, pushing Lucifer away from her ex. Lucifer allowed her to move him, not taking his eyes off the man at all. "Come on," the Detective said forcefully, grabbing his arm. "The lieutenant wants to meet you."

Lucifer allowed her to lead him away with one last glare. "And how is the dear lieutenant?" He purred. The Detective gave him an irritated glare. "She's been moved to Chief of Police. We have a new lieutenant. And he already hates me, so try not to make it any worse?"

"Well, he obviously has bad taste, Detective," he said, adjusting his jacket. "Let's get on with it, then." 

Together, they walked to the lieutenant's office. "Behave, please," the Detective muttered before opening the door.

Upon first glance, Lucifer was struck by a sense of deja vu. The man in front of him, with his green eyes, brown hair, and strong build, really reminded him of someone–now if only he could think who.

The lieutenant nodded to him in greeting. "You must be Lucifer Morningstar, the club owner." Lucifer's smile sharpened as he heard the disdain in the man's voice. "Yes, and you must be the new lieutenant. Lieutenant Monroe will be missed." 

"I'm sure she will," he muttered. But not lowly enough for Lucifer's Devilish ears to pick up. "I'm Lieutenant Marcus Pierce," he stated. "I've been told it's best to ignore your little partnership with Detective Decker, here, since you have the highest solve rate in the precinct. But let this be known," he leaned in, no doubt attempting to seem threatening. It was more like a kitten hissing at a lion. 

"I expect you to be on your best behavior, Mr. Morningstar. I'm not afraid to make your time here very difficult if you don't toe the line."

Lucifer had the urge to pat the man on the head. The Detective probably wouldn't like that, though. He offered him a grin instead. "You'll find I'm not afraid of adversity, Lieutenant Pierce." Green eyes studied him for a bit longer before leaning back. "Alright. Now, get out of my office."

They left.

________________________________________________________________________________

A highly uncomfortable 4-hour car ride wherein he was lectured about his parting words to the new lieutenant and Lucifer was back in the desert. The Detective refused to take no for an answer and demanded to know where Lucifer had been taken. One text message to his sister later and they were on their way to Death Valley.

He found his way back to the road where Ariel had found him with Mr. Said Out Bitch. He couldn't help but laugh when he saw what was left of Ariel's little present to the police that had been chasing the thief.

"Are those...vines...growing in a desert, through several feet of asphalt?" The Detective asked incredulously. Lucifer was too busy laughing to answer.

From there, he attempted to retrace his steps to find where he'd woken up at. All he could remember were the millions of irritating cacti he'd been surrounded with. They all looked the same. The Detective was starting to realize the futility of this exercise. She was stomping around, continuously asking him if he remembered anything from his missing two weeks.

"I've told you, Detective," he responded, exasperated. "I do not remember anything past leaving the hospital, nor do I remember anything before waking up in the bloody desert!" 

She took a deep breath, the look on her face telling him that he was wearing on her patience. Honestly, he was the one that got kidnapped and had his bloody wings slapped back on his back!

Then, her face wrinkled as she took another deep breath. "Do you smell that?"

"What, Detective?" He just wanted to get out of this desert.

"It smells like a rotting corpse," she said, turning around and walking north. He followed, a scowl appearing on his face. Now that his attention had been drawn to it, something did smell positively rancid.

For some reason, his mind went back to his conversation with Ariel earlier. He snorted. "Well, if it smells like a corpse–"

He walked right into Chloe's back. Only his quick reflexes kept either of them from tumbling forward. His arm was wrapped around her waist as he steadied the both of them.

"Lucifer!"

He was about to say she shouldn't have stopped so suddenly, when he saw what had made her do so.

A literal, rotting corpse.

"Then it's probably a corpse?" The Detective ended his previous statement with a raised eyebrow.

Lucifer had only one response to that. 

"Bloody hell."

________________________________________________________________________________

Ariel wasn't altogether certain how she felt about his Detective dragging Lucifer back to the desert. On one hand, she was happy the woman cared enough about him to try and figure out how and why he'd been hurt. On the other, she knew all too well how a human poking their nose into celestial business would end. And her brother had enough scars–physical, mental, and emotional–without this Detective adding to them.

"You worry too much," Eden growled gently. "He is an archangel. He can take care of himself." Ariel sighed. "I know. That doesn't mean I don't worry." Fur rubbed against her hand. She reached down and rubbed the lioness's coat.

Since they'd found each other in the Lemnos Desert in Greece, Eden had been her constant companion. And, as a Nemean lion, Ariel knew she wouldn't have to worry about burying her friend. Humans...they always left too soon.

The breaking of glass startled her out of her thoughts. Eden began growling as Ariel turned towards the sound of several people in the penthouse. 

She was about to demand who they were when a familiar voice stopped her. One she hadn't heard in millennia.

"Ariel?"

She stopped, dumbfounded. "Bloody hell."

________________________________________________________________________________

It was after 8 before Lucifer and Chloe returned to the city. After finding the body, the Detective immediately called it in and four hours later, Ella, Detective Douche, and a score of other police were there. Detective Douche ignored Lucifer's existence, which might've actually been a good thing. The Devil was still a bit pissy over how he'd talked about his sister.

On the way back, the Detective continued to question him about his disappearance. Lucifer was certain his Father had a hand in it, but of course the Detective didn't believe that. It was so frustrating, the way she continuously refused to see what was in front of her. He couldn't understand how humans could be so blind sometimes.

Just as the car descended into tense, thick silence, his phone rang. He answered it gratefully. Honestly, the devil, afraid of a bit of tension. Unbelievable. "Hullo?" He said.

"Um...Lucifer?"

Lucifer sat up in his seat, barely aware of the way Chloe watched him out of the corner of her eye. "Dearest? What's the matter?"

He could hear the deep breath Ariel took and the sigh that followed. "You need to come home. As soon as possible." Lucifer went inhumanly still. "Are you in danger?" He asked softly. If anyone had attempted to harm his sister in any way, he'd give them true torment.

"Lucifer?" The Detective questioned, but he wasn't focused on her right now.

Ariel laughed. It was tense, but he could sense that indomitable confidence that his sister had always had within her. "As if anyone could hurt me. But, we need to talk. If you could please get a hold of Amenadiel, it'd be best if he were here as well."

"I'm on my way." He ended the call and turned to the Detective, who had a death grip on the steering wheel. "Lucifer, what's going on?" She asked. "I need you to drive me back to Lux as fast as possible," he told her. His back itched, reminding him of a faster way he could get there, but the thought of using his wings, even for his sister, made his skin crawl.

"What's happening?" She demanded as she turned around to head to Lux instead of the precinct. "Is it Lux?" He didn't answer, immediately dialing his brother's phone. The fallen angel had finally gotten with the times–perhaps due to his acquaintance with Daniel. 

Lucifer drummed his fingers on the dash as he waited for his brother to pick up the phone. Once he did, he immediately interrupted his greeting. "Brother, get to the penthouse immediately." 

"What? Why?" Amenadiel asked. Lucifer growled at him. "I don't bloody know, but Ariel called me a few minutes ago and she seemed nervous."

"Ariel." His brother sounded nervous himself.

"Yes, Ariel!" He snapped, completely unsympathetic. "Now, how about you actually act like a brother for once in our existence and get your featherless arse to Lux!" He hung up.

"Lucifer!" The Detective snapped. "Tell me what's going on!"

"I don't know," he ground out. "All I know is that she sounded concerned and told me to get home as soon as possible."

"She?"

"Ariel," Lucifer said offhandedly, trying to decide what it could be. Had Maze come over and attempted to attack his angelic sister? Ariel could easily defend herself, especially with the Nemean lioness at her side, but it would still be an awkward situation.

"Was that the woman who was with you when you called me last week?"

Lucifer nodded. "It's been a long time since I've seen her." That was an understatement. "I apologize for the inconvenience this week, but she wanted time for us to get to know each other again."

Chloe was silent.

"You sound like you really care for her," she said quietly.

Lucifer smiled. "I suppose I do." The words came easier than he imagined.

The rest of the drive was silent.

________________________________________________________________________________

Lucifer flexed his hands, ready to face whatever had his sister so worried. Amenadiel stood behind him as they watched the floors pass by on the elevator. 

As soon as the Detective had stopped the car, Lucifer had jumped out and ran towards the entrance. His brother stood waiting for him. He fell in behind Lucifer as they moved through the club and towards the elevator. He hadn't even stopped to say goodbye to the Detective.

The elevator dinged. 

Lucifer charged out and was immediately attacked by something small and...feathery? "Brother, it's so good to finally meet you!"

What?

Lucifer looked down to see a child clinging to him, much like the way the Detective's spawn did. But this child was a boy, with dirty blonde curls and brown eyes smiling up at him. The pale yellow wings flared out around him was also a clear indentation that this was not a normal child.

Amenadiel made a choked sound behind him and Lucifer looked up.

He froze. Bloody hell. Fuck.

Four of his siblings stared back at him. Raziel met his gaze calmly, not betraying a single emotion in his dark eyes. Azrael's eyes jumped around the room, meeting his for a second before jumping away again. Raphael, like Raziel, met his stare confidently, but unlike their brother, he could see the worry there. Gabriel smiled nervously at him, his eyes dropping down as he rested on the couch, his left arm and leg bandaged.

The fifth sibling, however, had his back turned to him. Black wings were held against his body, tension leaking from his frame. The black wings stopped Lucifer short for a moment. They hadn't been black before. They'd been just as white as his own, matching. But everything else was the same. He didn't have to turn around for Lucifer to know what he'd see. The same face looked back at him everyday in the mirror.

"Michael."


	4. Detective Dick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan being an even bigger douche than usual. And Ariel goes off.

Chloe was going to shoot him. Again.

....Okay, she wouldn't do that, but God damn it, couldn't he have given her something to go on?!

She had sped through the city to get to Lux, just barely obeying the speed limit. Honestly, how bad was it? Did she need to turn on her sirens? Did she need to bring in her firearm? Did she need to call in backup?

But, no. Instead, he races into the building, his brother right behind him without telling her anything. And then, when she finally reaches the elevator, it's been locked! When she hiked up the stairs, she found that the door to his floor was blocked off. Damn it all! Wasn't that a safety violation?!

All her texts have been ignored. She tried calling him–he didn't answer those either. She dropped her head onto the counter. Damn it, Lucifer!

"Detective?" 

She looked up to see one of the bartenders looking at her anxiously. Patrick, she thought his name was. 

"Are you okay? Can I get you a drink?" 

She shook her head. "No, thanks. But..." She hesitated. Did she really want to ask this question? "What?" Patrick asked. She took a deep breath. "What do you know about a woman named Ariel?"

"Miss. Ariel?" Patrick asked, sounding surprised. "The boss' guest? Not much. I know that they seem pretty close. She sat beside him when he played for the club. He hasn't been staying down here much during rush time since she got here. And he hasn't allowed any visitors upstairs lately."

So, none of his Brittanys, she gathered.

Patrick shrugged as he cleaned a glass. "They've pretty much been joined at the hip the entire weekend. But, that might be out of necessity." 

She frowned and was about to ask what he meant when her phone buzzed. Immediately forgetting about the woman, she checked her texts.

Ella: ID came back. Lancaster dudes are down here, where are you?

She looked from the still-locked elevator, to her phone.

She was going to shoot him. Again.

________________________________________________________________________________

After getting over his shock, Lucifer promptly launched himself at his twin, the small angel letting go of him with a yelp as he did. Something wrapped around his waist, stopping him. Ariel clung to him, bracing herself. 

"Let me go, Ariel," he snarled.

She shook her head. "Not until you calm yourself. Think! What would happen to LA if two of the most powerful archangels went WWE smackdown right above it?!" 

Ariel had a point. A horridly irritating one, but a point all the same. Lucifer forced himself to step back, still glaring at the archangel's back. He growled. "At least face me, you coward!"

Michael's back looked as if had been carved from stone, it was so stiff. But Lucifer didn't care about his bloody discomfort. Where had he been when Lucifer needed him the most?!

Facing him with a sword held out to his own twin's throat.

Michael slowly turned and Lucifer's breath was knocked from him. Ariel was right there, still embracing him tightly, but he refused to let himself fall against her. He stiffened his own spine, looking straight into his brother's own dark brown eyes.

Once, he could've known what Michael was thinking just by looking at him. Now, time and distance, both figurative and all too literal, had robbed him of the ability to discern what storm swirled in his twin's eyes. "What are you doing here?" He growled deep in his throat, the sound animalistic. 

"We need to talk, siblings," Raziel stated. "If this is about going back to Hell, brother," he spat, "then I'm afraid I'll have to take a raincheck for never." He felt Ariel and, surprisingly, Amenadiel, step closer and surround him protectively. He'd hadn't thought his elder brother had it in him.

"It's not," Raziel responded, looking grave. But, then again, the Keeper of Secrets wasn't really known for his lightheartedness. "Then what caused you all to come after all this time?" Ariel asked softly, releasing Lucifer from her death grip, but remaining close. Lucifer met his brother's eyes vindictively. She had taken the words straight from his mouth.

The others fell silent, unease written on their features. Lucifer growled lowly, on the edge of his patience. "Speak," Amenadiel said behind him, stepping easily into his role of First Born.

"There's been a rebellion," Raphael spoke up, just as soft spoken as Lucifer remembered. He'd always been gentle, the healer. But when Lucifer needed him, he turned his back on him. 

Lucifer snorted. "And you believe I have anything to do with it?" He swore, if they'd come here to accuse him, he'd take them out to the desert! 

Gabriel tried to stand up and instantly fell back onto the couch with a painful wince. Lucifer took a half step forward, unable to stop himself. "No, of course not! We came for help, not to fight, brother!" Always the peacemaker, Gabriel. He suppose it came from being Father's Messenger. But he never spoke up for him.

"Help?" Lucifer asked. Azrael nervously twisted her hands. "Metatron and Sandalphon have taken over. They tried to trap us and hold us in Heaven until we agreed to fight with them. We fought our way out and...and this was the only place I could think to come." Azrael, the Angel of Death, was, indeed, a woman, as the dear doctor had a difficult time believing. Always so gentle with the grieving. But in all her trips down to Hell, not once had she attempted to speak to him.

Lucifer couldn't help the snort that escaped. "Metatron and Sandalphon? How, exactly, did they manage this?" The two were the only angels–Archangels, for that matter–to not be born as such. Instead, they'd been humans who had been granted Archangel status upon their death. Needless to say, Lucifer had not been pleased when he learned of this. 

"Father's missing," Raziel said. 

Lucifer froze. Amenadiel's hand clenched his shoulder. Ariel leaned slightly against his side. He could feel their shock as well as his own.

He pushed it to the side. "You know how he is, he's just not answering–"

Raziel shook his head. "No, brother. He's missing. He's not in the Silver City. Metatron and Sandalphon are running rampant, and there's no one to stop them."

The silence that followed was suffocating. Lucifer's thoughts went around and around, continuously returning to 'He's missing. He's not in the Silver City'. He couldn't process his Father being anywhere but the Silver City. This was not the days of Adam and Eve, where He walked among them in the Garden. Father had not visited Earth Himself since. And while He delighted in leaving Lucifer unanswered, there was no way he'd abandon the Silver City to be overtaken by rebels.

"Why should I help you?" Lucifer asked numbly, only half-aware of what he was saying. "I should applaud them, truly. About time somebody up there gained a mind of their own." Amenadiel hissed behind him. Ariel simply clung to his arm, supporting herself as much as reminding him she was there.

"No." 

Lucifer stiffened, knocked out of his circling thoughts by the voice. Michael had finally spoken. Looking him in the eyes, his twin continued quietly. "This is not something to applaud." Lucifer could feel his lip curling in a snarl, but was stopped by his next words. "They plan to attack the humans."

At that, Lucifer was well and truly speechless. Of all the things, he could never imagine any of his siblings going after humanity. Yes, some disliked their Father's pet project more than others, but no one had ever dared threaten them. That had been what had gotten their Mother locked in Hell, after all.

"Bloody hell," he breathed.

"Do you see why we came to you now?" Raziel asked quietly.

Lucifer saw. He hated it, oh how he hated it, but he couldn't deny it. Two Archangels–even if they were adopted–with the backing of their siblings, whether freely given or cohered, could do a lot of damage to the clueless humanity. But four Archangels, the Angel of Death, the Keeper of Secrets, and the Angel of Nature made a powerful force as well.

Lucifer breathed out, denying himself the urge to scream in rage. "Fine, you can stay. But you will do as I say." Raziel's face pinched at the stipulation, but he nodded. "As long as it's reasonable." 

Lucifer would just have to take that. "Agreed. First of all, do not interfere with my life. Do not mess with anyone I work with, don't even speak to them unless absolutely necessary. Secondly, I will prepare the lower floor for all of you. I don't want you in my penthouse unless I or Ariel say you can be. Thirdly, all fighting must be kept away from the city. And fourthly," he gestured to the young angel blinking up at him with chocolate brown eyes, "who the bloody hell is that?!"

Raziel blinked in confusion, a rare show of emotion from the normally reticent angel. "Oh. This is–"

"I'm Haniel!" The child interrupted, bouncing up and down excitedly. And then it all clicked. El, meaning "of God", which all of his siblings had. This was a sibling, but not one he knew before his Fall. No, this was one born after.

Lucifer turned back to Raziel, and with totally sincerity–well, perhaps there was a tad of sarcasm–asked, "Did Mum and Dad have hate sex after He threw me out?"

And that broke the mask. Raziel choked on air, his eyes almost bugging out of his head in shock. Azrael squeaked behind him, her face turned red as Raphael's head dropped into his hands with a sigh. Gabriel snickered and he could tell from Michael's pressed lips he was trying not to laugh. 

Amenadiel hissed behind him. "Luci!" 

Lucifer shrugged. "You know I'm right, brother."

Ariel groaned. "Did you have to put that image in my brain?" Shaking her head, she then turned to the room. "Gabriel?"

Lucifer frowned. Why was she asking for him?

"Yes?" Their brother responded.

Leaving Lucifer's side, Ariel picked her way through the room until she stood in front of Gabriel on the couch. Then, she pulled her hand back and slapped him clear across the face. And, suddenly, Lucifer was very happy he wasn't the object of her focus anymore. 

"What was that for?!" Gabriel cried, holding his cheek. "And why are you hitting the injured one?!" "You're going to be worse when I'm done with you," she hissed.

Raphael stepped forward cautiously, obviously having forgotten the first rule of what not to do when Ariel was angry in all these years they've been gone–never insert yourself into the conversation. It never ends well for you. "Sister, it's been too long. Let's not fight."

Ariel froze and everyone sucked in a breath. Eden, who was lounging on... "Why is the lioness lounging on my bar?" Lucifer asked randomly. She grinned at him. Everyone else was too busy watching the natural disaster that was their sister begin to erupt.

"It's been too long?" Ariel asked, deceptively calm. Raphael's face showed that he knew he'd fucked up. "It's been too long? And whose bloody fault is that?!" She snapped. 

"Sister, you're not British," Gabriel interrupted, obviously not getting the message that he should shut up and play dead. Or was that with bears?

"No shit, brother!" Ariel snapped, turning back to the fairer twin. "Nationality hadn't existed when we were born!" Gabriel cowered back into the couch, eyes wide.

Ariel then turned back to poor Raphael. "I was perfectly willing to come back! But, no, dear old Dad decided to banish our brother for good and no one helped him! I wasn't going to stand for that and I still won't! As far as I'm concerned, what you all did was unforgivable!"

Raziel then opened his mouth. Oh, bloody hell. Everyone was determined to make this worse. "Father was punishing–"

She whirled on him, turning a bit too far to the left, so it was more like she was arguing with his shoulder. But no one dared correcting her. "That wasn't punishment," she snarled. "Punishment is made to balance the scales, to make an offender give as much as he took, or at least as close as possible to such a thing. Lucifer asked a question! How is that an offense?!"

"Thank you!" Lucifer interjected, crossing his arms. A warm feeling was spreading through his chest at his sister's words, like when the Detective complimented him. On the other hand, his hands itched to wrap around his brother's throat. "But please do tell your lioness to get off my bar, I don't want to be wiping up cat hair."

Eden hissed at him. Ariel didn't turn away from Raziel. The Keeper of Secrets was silent. "That's what I thought," Ariel scoffed, turning one last time to Raphael. "If anyone had wanted to see me, they could've. But when you did, all I heard about was horrible things about our own brother. So, yes, it's been too long! Too long for your heads to still be stuck up Father's divine ass!!"

Everyone winced at that, as Lucifer clapped. "Well said, sister! Now, for your lioness–"

"But why was I slapped?" Gabriel whined, interrupting. Lucifer glared at him, but nobody noticed.

"Because, how hard could it have been to have just brought Haniel down to meet me?!" She demanded. "Or was that forbidden by our dear Father as well?!"

Gabriel opened his mouth, stopped, thought about it, and then shut it. "I probably shouldn't answer that," he said, actually using his brain for the first time this evening.

Ariel took a deep breath and let out a high-pitched whine that rattled the windows and other glass. Lucifer winced, thinking of how hard the shattered bottles had been to clean up last week. Thankfully, nothing broke.

"I'll be back," Ariel ground out and headed for the elevator. Everyone moved out of her way.

"Where are you going?" Amenadiel asked.

"Away from here before I do something I might regret," she growled.

"Take your lion–" Lucifer began to say, really wanting the furry beast off of his bar. But, he was once again interrupted–by Ariel. "Eden, stay!" She commanded before the elevator doors closed and she was gone.

The silence laid thick and tense over the room. Haniel looked about ready to cry.

Then Gabriel opened his mouth. "Well, that went well."

Raphael looked appalled. "What part of that went well?" 

Gabriel sighed. "Sarcasm, brother dear. Sarcasm."

The lion was still on Lucifer's bar.

________________________________________________________________________________

Ariel wasn't sure where she was going when she walked out on her siblings, she just knew she couldn't stay. Tears burned in her eyes and she dimly realized she was shaking. Whether from anger or sorrow, she wasn't sure. She wasn't sure of a lot right then.

When they'd been younger, when the Silver City had been home and Earth had been their playground, they'd been inseparable. Michael and Lucifer–or, rather, Samael–had been so close, they were practically one person. They felt what the other felt, loved what the other loved, and feared what the other feared. The only identical twins among them, the demiurge. 

Gabriel had always been the wild one, always having to be looked after by his more rational twin. They'd all always gone to Raphael with any hurts they'd obtained. The amount of bones and wing tendons he'd set and healed in their youth had been ridiculously high. Gabriel was their storm, the jokester, and Raphael was their calm, always there for them no matter what.

Dearest Azrael, so gentle and quiet, so shy. Samael had picked more fights defending her from their jealous siblings than the stars he'd put in the sky. He'd doted on her and Azrael had followed him around like a lost puppy, constantly vying for his attention.

Raziel had been their studious sibling, spending more time in the libraries of Heaven than anywhere else. So quiet, he'd proven his title of Keeper of Secrets accurate very early on by holding all their secrets near and dear to his heart, never breaking their confidence. 

All that was missing was...her mouth twisted as the elevator dinged and she stepped out–and immediately walked into someone. She stumbled back, her hand raised to grab onto something, anything. An aggravated male voice snapped at her, "Hey! Watch where you're going!"

"Kind of hard to do that when I'm blind, dumbass," she immediately replied. The person was human and despite her lack of sight, she'd never had anything to fear from humanity. She was the Angel of Nature. The very air they breathed where provided by the trees she had created and helped flourish.

"Well, I didn't know that," he responded petulantly. She smelled alcohol on him and barely kept from wrinkling her nose. She did not understand the draw of alcohol and she never would. "Shouldn't you have somebody with you or something?"

"Shouldn't you have somebody with you to stop you from being a dumbass?"

"Ooookay, then!" She felt hands on her shoulders, pulling her back. She allowed them to do so, moving away from the moronic human. "Sir, if you'll excuse us..." The hands attempted to push her back and she felt the back of someone in front of her as they bodily blocked her from the man. She felt slightly offended, but also realized that they couldn't know who they were dealing with.

The man, however, wasn't willing to let it go. "You bitch!" He yelled. Ariel couldn't help herself. "Calling me a female dog would still make me smarter than you. And better smelling," she added, finally giving in to the urge to wrinkle her nose.

"Can you please stop?" The woman in front of her pleaded.

The woman suddenly drew in a sharp breath and stepped backward, clenching her wrists tighter as the man growled and stepped forward. The asshole was actually going to punch her. Ariel went to move the lady to the side, only to be stopped by the sound of a fist meeting flesh, a groan, and a heavy body hitting the floor. 

"What the fuck?" Another woman's voice demanded. 

"Thank you, Maze," the woman holding her breathed in relief. Ariel wished desperately that she could see the demon known as Mazikeen, her brother's right hand and protector, so she could thank her properly. But the woman holding her led her away, down the stairs and through a crowd before she could say anything.

She went along with the human woman, who sat her on what she assumed was a bar chair. "Diane?" A male's voice asked. She believed it belonged to Patrick, Lucifer's bartender. "Hey, Patrick," the woman, Diane, greeted. "We had a bit of an argument upstairs, but Maze took care of it. Could you please watch her? My break's ending."

"Sure," Patrick agreed, ignoring Ariel's scowl at the suggestion she needed babysitting. Diane left. "So," Patrick asked from farther away, probably filling another drink. "Want to tell me what happened?" She snorted. "Drunken dumbass thought that because I'm blind, that means he can walk all over me. I disagreed."

Patrick moved closer and sighed. "There's always that one person who doesn't have two brain cells to rub together." Ariel let out an astonished snicker. "Yes!" She exclaimed. "Drink?" Patrick asked gently. Ariel nodded, knowing that Lucifer had made her drinking choices well known to his employees. 

"Is she even old enough to be here?" A man's voice asked off to her left. 

She wished she wasn't blind so she could give him the exact look that would tell him how she felt about that comment. Unfortunately, with the situation, she had to settle for a scowl in his direction. "I'm older than I look, sweetheart. And besides–" Patrick set down her drink in front of her with perfect timing and she took a sip. "–I don't drink alcohol anyway. And I'm pretty sure my brother made that very clear to all his employees."

And then there was the sound of everyone around her spitting out their drinks. She winced in sympathy for poor Patrick, who would be the one to have to clean that mess up. "What?" She asked. 

"You're...Lucifer Morningstar's sister??" The age-police asked incredulously. 

"Why did you ask that with so much disbelief? Is it so hard to believe he has a family?" She demanded.

"Yes!" Was the chorused response. And...

"Patrick, why are you surprised?!" Ariel wondered. "Didn't my brother tell you?!"

As soon as it came out of her mouth, she realized what she had said and held up her hand to stop Patrick's response. "Never mind." She rubbed the bridge of her nose under her sunglasses and sighed. "This is Lucifer we're talking about. Of course he didn't explain."

"So, if something happens to you, he's going to kill me, isn't he?" Patrick asked in slight terror.

"Nothing's going to happen to me," she reassured him.

"That didn't answer my question."

"Anywho," Ariel continued on, "could you please call me a cab?"

"Can I not?" Patrick asked in a high pitched voice.

"No."

"Of course I can't," he muttered and then got on his phone to call her cab.

________________________________________________________________________________

Patrick took a moment and walked her to the cab, ignoring her insistence that she didn't need an escort. He told the man to "drive carefully, cause this is my boss's little sister and I'm fucking dead if anything happens to her". So, after that embarrassing assumption of her capabilities, he left and she told the cabbie her intended destination.

The drive was pleasant, for the most part, with the cabbie telling her all about his girlfriend, who he was planning to propose to. Ariel smiled and congratulated the man, genuinely happy for him. Human lives were so short, but so beautiful as well.

"She loves Romeo & Juliet, so I'm trying to think of some way to use that when I'm proposing, you know?" He continued excitedly, obviously heads over heels in love. Why anyone would consider Romeo & Juliet romantic, Ariel didn't know, but perhaps it was a human thing.

She smiled where she assumed he could see in the rear view mirror. "I'm sure whatever you think of, she'll love it," she offered. She guessed. She didn't know–this was Anael's job, damn it!

"I hope so."

The cab slowed to a stop. "Alright, here we are. Do you need some help? I can walk you in."

Taking out her cane, she felt for the door and opened it. "No, thank you. You've been wonderful. I hope she likes the flowers." She got out and shut the door behind her, heading into the LA police department.

The cab driver stared out the window, watching her leave. "What flowers?" He asked, confused. Two women called out to him, pulling his attention away from the girl. 

They got in the back. While one was telling him their destination, the other looked down and picked something up from the floor board. "Hey, I think someone left these."

The cab driver twisted around in his seat to see a basket of peach-colored roses. 

Well, that answered his question, but where the hell did they come from?! Cause he knew she hadn't had anything when she got in!

________________________________________________________________________________

Now she remembered why she hated cities. There were too many buildings, posts, and freaking elevated sidewalks to walk into and trip over. By the time she got in the door, she was about ready to scream. And when she walked into yet another vending machine, she almost picked it up and threw it.

Someone cleared their throat behind her as she cursed the damn machine to hell. "Ma'am, do you need some help?" She turned to the man's voice. "If you can show me where Detective Chloe Decker's desk is, then yes," she said irritatedly. All she wanted was to talk to her brother's damn partner.

The man laughed. "Sure, no problem. May I take your arm?" Ariel held out her left hand, her cane gripped in her right. The man grabbed her arm and began to gently lead her away. "Why do you need Chloe?"

So, he knew her enough to call her by her first name. "I need to talk to her about my brother," she said vaguely. She didn't know the other officers' opinions of Lucifer, but knowing him, there was an equal amount that couldn't stand him as much as there was that loved him. She didn't want to have to kick anyone out of the building tonight. She was too tired.

The man hummed as he clicked a button and the elevator dinged. "Wow, it never works that fast," he remarked. She had to wonder if her brother Barakiel had anything to do with it. Then, she immediately cast the idea out of her head. She hadn't spoken to the angel of fortune in centuries.

The ride down was quick and silent. When the elevator doors opened, the man took her hand again. "Careful, there's stairs here. We can take the ramp, though, if you want." She ignored his offer. She could walk down some stairs, thank you.

After a quick turn to the left, the man stopped. "Hey, Chlo. You have a visitor."

Ariel reaches out and her hand touched the wood of a desk. "A pleasure to meet you, Detective."

"Are you..." The Detective trailed off. "I'm sorry, but I think I heard your voice somewhere. Do you know Lucifer Morningstar?" 

Ariel nodded. "Yes. You probably heard me while you two were on the phone last week."

She felt the man behind her suddenly stiffen and step away. "Are you even legal?" He asked coldly.

It took a minute for his meaning to sink in. Detective Decker's hissed, "Dan!" helped a bit. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Detective Espinoza. "So, you must be Detective Douche. Personally, I think 'Detective Dick' is a bit more on the nose–Luce's always been a bit too nice at times. As to your concern, I'm much older than I look. And secondly, Lucifer is my brother, you dickwad." She growled.

That shocked both humans silent for a moment. "Uh....." Detective Dick said, at a loss for words. She wondered if that happened frequently.

Detective Decker recovered first. "I'm sorry," she apologized. Ariel waved it away. "Ma'am, apologizing for someone else's idiocy isn't going to make it any better." She has been in a bad mood before she came–there was no way she was taking anyone's shit right now.

"Sorry," Detective Dick muttered. Ariel could tell he was embarrassed by how far off the mark he'd been, but he didn't regret his implications towards Lucifer. She scowled. "And just because you give me a token response doesn't mean I have to accept it. Thank you for showing me the way, I think I can take it from here." And she turned her back to him in a clear dismissal.

Detective Decker remained silent for a moment, presumably as Detective Dick left. Then, she spoke up. "I am sorry for Dan's attitude. Lucifer...tends to poke at his buttons a lot." An eyebrow went up. "So that makes it okay that he just implied my brother engages in pedophilia?" Ariel asked sharply.

"Of course not, I just..." she sighed. "Would you like to have a seat?" Ariel waited. When no instructions were forthcoming, she cleared her throat. "I would, if I knew where the chair was." 

"To your right, facing me."

Ariel moved and sat down in the chair, focusing on Detective Decker's presence. Chloe Decker was a straight-forward, no-nonsense kind of woman who only believed in what she could see. While she did care for Lucifer, she thought he was eccentric at best and mentally deranged at worse. Not only that, but she was human.

Despite what her siblings might think, Ariel thought humans were the most dangerous creatures their Father had ever created.

"I didn't know Lucifer had a sister," Detective Decker said, obviously trying to draw her into a conversation. Ariel decided to humor her. "My brother and I have been...estranged, for a number of years." More like a couple thousand, but who was counting? "I was checking on him when he was found in the desert and once we spoke, I decided to stay with him for awhile."

"I don't suppose you know what happened to land him in the desert?" The Detective asked. Ariel had to resist the urge to flip her off. She was not a bloody suspect here, so the detective could lay off the questioning! "No, I don't," She enunciated. "And I'm not here to talk about that, even if I did."

"What are you here for, then?" Detective Decker asked tensely. 

Ariel leaned forward, resting on her walking stick. "What are your intentions towards my brother?"

There was a shocked silence as the detective gathered her thoughts. "What...what's that supposed to mean?!" She demanded, off balance.

Ariel sighed. Did she have to explain everything? "My brother cares for you. Deeply. I can hear it in his voice. And, despite how you allow your ex to shit on him, I believe you care for him as well. So, what are your intentions? Do you want a relationship with him? Are you simply friends?" Her voice clearly showed her disbelief at that question's validity.

"We are just friends," Detective Decker said forcibly.

"For your sake, I hope that's true," she replied crisply.

"Are you threatening me?"

Ariel shook her head. "No. I'm warning you. Lucifer needs someone who will stay by his side and love his faults as much as they love his virtues–and you aren't that someone. You treat him like a child who doesn't know his own mind–worse, you think he's lost his mind. You allow your dick of an ex to belittle him. And I'd bet good money you don't stand up for him when your fellow officers make fun of him behind his back."

The woman beside her practically radiated embarrassment. Ariel was vindictively pleased. 

"I suppose you're wondering about this," she said softly, with the delicate sharpness of a razor blade, motioning to her eyes. The non sequitur was abrupt, but necessary.

Without a word, Ariel reached up and took off her glasses. The detective inhaled suddenly, in horror. 

She didn't know how her face looked now, exactly, but she had an idea. The skin around her eyes was tight and smooth, like a scar left behind by a horrible burn. Of course, her Father's wrath was much worse than any ordinary fire.

"What...?" Detective Decker breathed, too horrified to catch herself.

Ariel smirked grimly. "Lucifer was always my favorite brother. So full of life, so unrepentant in his joy. Unlike our other siblings, my brother never needed our Father to make his existence mean something–not that Luce knew that. And perhaps he still doesn't really.

"So, when my favorite brother was to be kicked out for daring to question Him, I stood up. All our other siblings sat there, some quietly, some screaming...horrible...things at Lucifer. I shut those up quick. I begged our Father to be lenient. And once I figured out that there was to be no mercy for him, I argued. I screamed. I wasn't going to let him go without a fight."

The detective made an aborted sound, much like a whimper.

"Finally, Father grew tired of my resistance," Ariel said simply. "And, for my insolence, he took away my sight. And I listened through my pain as they cast my brother out, screaming."

There was no response from her brother's partner. She imagined that there was nothing she could say to that

Ariel sighed and picked her glasses back up. "I didn't tell you this for your pity." The glasses set in place, she tilted her head back up. "My brother's happy here. Happy in a way that I never saw him back in that house. This job, these people–he truly loves it. Don't take that away from him."

Chloe immediately denied it. "I don't want to hurt him." 

Ariel snorted at that. "Nobody sets out wanting to hurt someone close to them. But it happens all the same. They always leave us–one way or another."

"That's a very pessimistic way of seeing things," the Detective said sharply. Ariel smiled. "I'd think a detective would understand. You see the worst of humanity, day in and day out. How can one be optimistic with that? Out of all of the Father's creations, I never understood why he gifted humans with such power. All you seem to do with it is destroy."

She took a deep breath. "Now, then, if you'd excuse me, I have a sibling reunion to get back to–and make sure nobody's killed anyone," she muttered.

Please, Lucifer, don't kill anybody–no matter how much they piss you off.

________________________________________________________________________________ 

Okay, so, maybe she was a bit tired when she got back to Lux. And maybe she should've paid a bit more attention to the button she pressed on the elevator. 

Maybe then she wouldn't have attempted to fall onto the couch, only to face plant into the cold, hard floor. "Shit nuggets in piss sauce," she groaned into the black marble.

"What?"

The new voice was young, male. Too young to be in a club and too young to be here on Lucifer's invitation. Though he hadn't invited anyone to the penthouse since Ariel had arrived–apparently, Mother traumatized him a bit when it came to walking in at the wrong moments.

"Who is it?" She asked, too tired to get up off the floor to properly confront what was probably a lost child.

"Haniel."

Her breath caught. She slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position and turned in her youngest brother's direction. "Hello, Haniel," she said softly. "I'm Ariel. Do you know who I am?"

"You're my big sister, the Angel of Nature," he chimes cheerfully. 

"That's right," she said, her throat burning. "Maybe you could give your big sister a hug?"

Tiny arms and wings wrapped around her. She squeezed back. 

It was a couple thousand years late, but she finally got to hold her little brother, the Angel of Innocence.


	5. Bloody Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe is still trying to figure out Lucifer’s kidnapping, Lucifer is not happy with his sister, and stuff hits the fan.

Gold wingtips dragged across the floor as he looked out the window. The city, usually bustling with his siblings, was silent and empty. A heavy air rested over it. 

“You know the plan?” He asked.

“Yes, Brother.”

He nodded in approval. “Good. Then go.”

Air was displaced and his brother was gone.

Soon, the Devil would know who he was going against.

________________________________________________________________________________

“Do you mind?" Ariel muttered sleepily. "I can feel you staring."

"How did you know?!" Gabriel exclaimed. Loudly.

Ariel groaned and buried herself farther into the plushy warmth of cotton and feathers. She'd forgotten how loud Gabe could be.

"I'm blind, not brain dead," she grumbled. Guess she was giving up on sleeping any later. "What time is it?"

"Eight," Raphael said, pressing a cup into her hand after she stood up. She had gently wrapped the blanket around her still snoozing little brother, brushing her hand through his curls. Her lips pressed together in anger and sorrow, a flash of resentment running through her towards her Father. It was his fault she couldn't even see what color the adorable ringlets were.

Making her way to the table, she sat down. Fur pressed against her leg as soft rumbling filled her ears. Ariel smiled as she reached down to pet Eden's ears. "Where's Lucifer?" She asked.

"Oh, he came down an hour or so ago and–"

She cut Gabriel off. "I wasn't asking you, brother."

"Oh."

Eden huffed. "He went to see his human. He wanted me with you while he was gone." Ariel nodded. Hopefully, her little talk with the detective last night would deter any bad behavior.

________________________________________________________________________________

"Alright, peeps," Ella chirped, bounding up to the table and setting the evidence down. "Here's what we got–a keyring that led us to Josh Hamed, the vic's business partner. Turns out they had an epic prank war going on and Hamed paid some guys to fake kidnap our boy Steve and then drop him back in LA after 48 hours."

"Seriously?" Lucifer scoffed. 

Ella nodded. "Yep. Talk about crazy, huh?"

"Indeed."

The Detective continued with the briefing. "We've attempted to track the kidnappers down through their IP address, but it leads us to a Russian server."

"And we got tire treads off the roadkill squirrel, that belong to Rio Road-crusher tire, commercial grade. Unfortunately, there's 850,000 sets produced."

"In the world," Lucifer asked hopefully.

"In LA," Ella responded. 

"Bloody hell," he swore. Thanks to the distraction of his siblings arriving in LA, he hadn't had much time to think of what had happened to him, but now it was at the forefront of his mind.

"Anyway, I wanted to question you," The Detective said. "Since this guy was found where you were dumped, there might be a connection. Is there anything you can think of that might help?"

He shook his head, clenching his hands into fists. "I told you, Detective, I was leaving the hospital from visiting Dr. Linda. I called you and was headed to my car when something struck the back of my head. Next thing I remember, I woke up in the bloody desert."

Ella snapped her fingers. "Cameras!"

Lucifer and the Detective both turned to her. "Security cameras, at the hospital," she elaborated excitedly. "Maybe they caught the attack."

Lucifer grinned at her. "Brilliant, dear Ms. Lopez."

Then she hugged him. "I'm so glad you're back," she muttered into his suit.

He stared down at her, then up to a vaguely amused Detective. He didn't know how to respond to this. So, he sat his hand on her head, patting it. "As am I, my dear," he said stiffly, but sincerely.

________________________________________________________________________________

Thankfully, the hospital's security cameras kept up to three months worth of footage, so getting the tapes were fairly easy.

Unfortunately, there was nothing to see. The attacker was in a black hoodie and always kept his face away from the camera. Obviously, he knew exactly where they were.

Ella grimaced. "Well...at least we know it's a male, around 6'2, and right handed."

Chloe withheld a growl. "And how many fit that description in LA alone?"

The technician winced. "Too many."

Lucifer scowled at the image. "Great. I was kidnapped by Mr. Average Douchebag."

"Actually, the relative height for a man in the US is 5'9, so he's a bit above average," Ella piped up.

Lucifer did not look amused.

Neither was she, but she appreciated the attempt at levity, so she smiled back at her. "Thanks for the help, Ella."

"No problemo!"

They left the lab and Chloe immediately pulled Lucifer towards an empty interrogation room. "Detective?" He asked, curious.

She spread her hands over the table and leaned forward, staring right into his eyes. "Alright, who would do this to you? Any suspects that you can think of? Anyone you've pissed off lately–other than Dan."

He grinned crookedly. "I believe Daniel would gladly leave me in the desert given the opportunity–but you're right. He couldn't have knocked me unconscious."

She almost said that that kind of language was what pissed Dan off, but decided against it. She wasn't their therapist.

"And," she prompted. 

He shrugged elegantly. What was up with British people and making every movement look sophisticated? "Honestly, Detective, I have no clue. My Father could be behind this–"

Chloe resisted the urge to smack her face against the table. Of course, his father was always the first one he casted blame on. "Anyone who's threatened you?" She stressed.

"My Father," he replied, deadpan. "Anyway, if He was behind this, then...."

"What?" She prodded. Lucifer's expression grew tentative in a way she rarely saw. He almost looked...afraid. "Lucifer?"

He sighed. "To tell a long story short, a few of my siblings decided to pop down and, apparently, Father's gone missing."

"What?!"

That was ridiculously short. And she had the feeling he was leaving a lot of details out.

"Is one of those siblings Ariel?" She asked cautiously.

He snorted. "No. Neither Ariel or I have spoken to them in centuries. That's why she called last night. They decided to just pop into the penthouse without a word. Ariel can hold her own, but against all five–err, six of them–it would be trouble if they were there to fight."

"She's blind," Chloe blurted.

"Yes, well..." Lucifer stopped. "How did you know she was blind, Detective?" He asked carefully. 

Oh...Lucifer hadn't known about Ariel's late night visit to the precinct.

"Well...she came to the precinct last night, to talk to me," Chloe admitted. She felt like she should apologize, for some reason.

Lucifer took a deep breath. "What about?"

"She was worried, about you. She made it clear she wouldn't condone any attempts at 'moments' from me. Basically, I got the shovel talk."

"Bloody hell," he swore. "Apparently, I need to have a talk with my dear sister."

Chloe grimaced. While Ariel hadn't exactly been the nicest, she'd brought up some valid points. "Hey, can we talk?"

Lucifer hummed his assent, obviously still thinking about his sister. "I want to apologize."

That got his attention. "Whatever for?" He asked, confused. "Your sister pointed out how I've been treating you," she said, guilt swirling in her chest. "How I've been allowing Dan to treat you. I just wanted you to know, I'll do better from now on. You always have my back, you should be able to count on me to have your's."

He waved off her concern. "Don't worry about it, Detective."

Chloe wasn't going to let this go. "No! She's right! Don't try to wave this off!"

Lucifer stared back at her, surprised by her vehemence. "Alright, Detective," he said. "I don't think it's necessary, but I accept your apology."

Chloe let out a deep breath. "Thank you."

Lucifer fiddled with his cufflinks. "What's next? Any suspects to interrogate?"

Chloe snorted. "Unfortunately, paperwork." She fully expected him to make his escape and he did shuffle uncomfortably, but he stayed where he was. "If it's all the same to you, Detective, perhaps I'll stay."

"You want to stay," Chloe stated. "When I'm doing paperwork." He scoffed. "Nasty stuff, but yes, Detective. I rather not return home at this time."

"Because of your siblings?" She needled, sitting at her desk and pulling out the papers she had to fill out. He sat in his usual chair next to her.

"Indeed," he said grimly, and she remembered something he'd said earlier. "Are they violent? Do you need me to call someone out to Lux?" She asked, her hand already reaching for the phone.

"No need, Detective. They wouldn't have been allowed to stay if I was worried," he said, waving away her concern. Chloe relaxed back into her seat, but her curiosity was not yet satisfied. "How many siblings do you have?"

Lucifer snorted. "More than I care to name, dear."

He reclined back in his chair, getting as comfortable as possible.

________________________________________________________________________________

It was just in time for dinner when he finally arrived back to the penthouse. An odorous mixture of Japanese, Mexican, American, and Chinese cuisine greeted him. Amenadiel and Ariel sat at the bar with their burger and nachos respectively, while most everyone else sat in the living area with their food. Haniel flitted between the two groups.

"Luci!" Amenadiel called out. Lucifer walked over to the eldest, while studiously ignoring Michael, who was staring at him. His skin crawled. What did he want?

"Brother," he greeted, nodding. Then, he turned to the woman of the hour. "Sister. I would like to speak with you," he said tensely. Ariel tensed up as well as she read his tone. "Coming, brother," she said, laying down her fork and sliding from the seat. Eden's head, which had been resting at her feet, rose as a soft growl escaped her throat. Ariel shook her head and Eden laid back down.

Bringing out his wings, Lucifer flew between time and space, and landed on the beach. It was basically empty, most having gone to eat their last meal of the day.

"What is it?" Ariel asked, landing next to him.

"Where did you go last night?" He asked, wanting to see what she'd say. 

"To speak to your detective."

Then again, Ariel had never been one to beat around the bush.

"But you already know that, don't you?" A wry smile crossed her lips. "You're angry with me."

"Quite," he hissed. "I did not give you permission to speak to anyone from my life here."

"Since when do I need your permission to do anything, brother," She asked sharply. Much like him, Ariel did not appreciate being ordered around.

"You're the angel of earth, Ariel, even without your wings, you draw attention!" 

"And you're an archangel," she retorted. "If they were going to notice anything, they would've already. You're not exactly careful, you know. So why are you so upset?"

He looked away. “I’m the Devil.”

“And you’re afraid they won’t take that fact well,” Ariel finished. 

“The Devil doesn’t get scared,” he protested–pretty weakly. 

She sighed. “Brother, all things feel fear. And if they can’t see the Lucifer behind the Devil, then they don’t deserve you.”

“I–”

Suddenly, a mutt a distance away began barking incessantly. Lucifer scowled at it and turned to his sister to ask her to shut it up. But the look on her face stopped him. She’d turned pale. The seagulls began squawking in discordance with the canine.

“Brother–” She breathed, right before the earthquake hit.

It was no ordinary earthquake. No, this was not caused by the shifting of tectonic plates beneath them. This was something much worse.

“Bloody hell,” he breathed, as the gates of Hell cracked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, y’all, could someone please tell me how to add photos to my works, cause I have plenty of aesthetics and chapter images I’d love to use?
> 
> Please and thank you! 😁


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